Jalna, Jan 30: Mahatma Gandhi's great grandson Tushar Gandhi on Sunday lamented that the number of people who follow the teachings of the Father of the Nation is shrinking in the country, while the ideology of his assassin, Nathuram Godse, is becoming dominant.
He also said that while the central government is celebrating 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' to mark 75 years of Independence, it is being witnessed that "poison of hatred" is spreading in the society.
He was speaking during a virtual a programme 'Kar ke dekho' (Do it and see) organised by the Gandhi Study Centre, JES College here, on the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
"The government is celebrating 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' to commemorate 75 glorious years of progressive India and its rich history, but now 'amrit' has become poison of hatred and it is increasing and being spread," he said.
"The teachings of Mahatma Gandhi are on the wane and the ideology of his killer, Nathuram Godse, is dominating over it. A section of people is distorting the history and rewriting it in their own way. But we have to revive the real history and raise voice against hatred and division in the society," he said.
We have adopted the culture of violence, hatred and division. We are divided on the basis of religion, caste and region. Our division is our identity, mentality; and social systems are based on the division, he added.
A nation is not merely a boundary, a flag or a map, he said.
"A nation is a land on which all human beings live. It is the people who make the nation," Gandhi added.
On the programme's theme 'Kar ke dekho', Gandhi said when Mahatma Gandhi planned to take out the Dandi march, most Congress leaders opposed his idea, doubted whether the plan would succeed and even thought that it may cause embarrassment to the party.
"But Mahatma Gandhi wrote a single line in reply - 'Kar ke dekho'. He showed that the Dandi march can become a movement to achieve freedom. Today we have to do the same thing - 'Kar ke dekho' - against the situation of hatred, division and inequality. It will be a true homage to him if we follow his teachings in our life," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Ottawa, Jan 29 (PTI): A Canada commission report has said that "no definitive link" with a "foreign state" in the killing of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was "proven", smashing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that accused the involvement of Indian agents in the killing.
In September 2023, Trudeau said Canada had credible evidence that agents of the Indian government were involved in the murder of Nijjar in British Columbia in June 2023.
The report titled "Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions' was released on Tuesday.
In the report commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue said "Disinformation is used as a retaliatory tactic to punish decisions that run contrary to a state's interests."
The report has suggested India spread disinformation on the killing of Nijjar.
"This may have been the case with a disinformation campaign that followed the Prime Minister's announcement regarding suspected Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (though again no definitive link to a foreign state could be proven)," the report said.
Nijjar was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
The 123-page report also talked of expelling six Indian diplomats.
"In October 2024, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials in reaction to a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the Government of India," it said.
However, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced the withdrawal of its high commissioner.
The relations between India and Canada came under severe strain following Prime Minister Trudeau's allegations in September last year of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.
New Delhi had rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd".
India has repeatedly criticised Trudeau's government for being soft on supporters of the Khalistan movement who live in Canada. The Khalistan movement is banned in India but has support among the Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada.
On Tuesday, India strongly rejected "insinuations" made against it in the report by a Canadian commission that investigated allegations that certain foreign governments were meddling in Canada's elections.
In a strong reaction, the MEA in New Delhi said it rejects the report's "insinuations" on India.
It is in fact Canada which has been "consistently interfering" in India's internal affairs, it said.